Oprah Winfrey visits Fort Collins to see where Erica Forney was killed by distracted driver

As noted in our blog about the eleventh anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School, Oprah Winfrey shot a program about that subject a year ago, but wound up pulling it at the last minute following complaints from family members and other concerned parties. Don't expect something similar to...

By Michael Roberts

April 20, 2010

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As noted in our blog about the eleventh anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School, Oprah Winfrey shot a program about that subject a year ago, but wound up pulling it at the last minute following complaints from family members and other concerned parties.

Don't expect something similar to take place in regard to an upcoming Winfrey program with a Colorado focus -- one for which she visited Fort Collins this past weekend.

The subject: The death of young Erica Forney in a crash caused by a cell phone.

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, Winfrey was in town for an upcoming program about distracted driving, among the causes at the top of her current list. While there, she spoke to Shelley Forney, who founded an organization called FocusDriven after her daughter, Erica, was killed circa 2008 while riding her bike in an accident involving a woman distracted by her phone. Winfrey wanted to see where Erica died in the context of recording a segment for her "No Phone Zone" campaign.

Look below to see an earlier Oprah appearance by Forney:

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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